'The Graduate' is THE best movie comedy of all-time, ranking #1 on my IMDb "Top 10 Greatest Comedies List". The film is culturally significant and a flawless work of cinematic art.
The film propelled director Mike Nichols and actor Dustin Hoffman to the top of the Hollywood A-List.
For baby-boomers, this is an iconic film - a snap-shot of rapid cultural change that occurred in mid-1960s suburbia, complete with its post-college let-down, introspection, angst, and confusion.
Baby boomers perceived things much differently than their Greatest Generation parents, and Nichols (along with screen-play writer Buck Henry) integrated the resulting "generation-gap" in a way no film had done before.
Dustin Hoffman was fortunate to get the lead part as legend has it, and Nichols was fortunate to get him - both took advantage of the opportunity, and we are all fortunate they did so.
The best soundtrack sync in movie history...
Upon awakening one morning at the beginning of the film's production planning, Nichols had an epiphany about using the introspective and melancholy music of Simon & Garfunkel in the film after listening to their music on his bedroom record player - The resulting film sound-track "music sync" in 'The Graduate' established what was then, a new standard for use of popular music as an integral part of story telling. NO film since then has done this better. Without that music sync, this would have been a fine film, but it would not have reached its legendary film status.
Buck Henry's original screen-play delivers some very funny scenes - the hotel scenes running from the approximate 20 to 35 minute marks in the film are hilarious and everyone pulled it off to subtle perfection. Nichols ensured those comic moments were delivered with impeccable timing by utilizing Henry as a Day Player in the role of hotel manager.
Anne Bancroft is brilliant and hot, and portrays her tragic and narcissistic character "Mrs. Robinson" with perfection, in what has become an iconic film character.
Much of the film's success is due to the performance of the ensemble cast. Nichols directs the movie like one of his stage productions where every line by every actor has impact.
This is Mike Nichols' greatest and most important achievement in film, and over time has made many top 10 greatest comedy as well as all-time favorite movie lists. If one were to place slap-stick into its own separate genre (as so often the Chaplin and Marx Brothers films are cited as greatest comedies but are based largely on physical pantomime, not dialogue based comedy-drama), I believe this film is THE all-time greatest comedy in film.
What else can I add that hasn't already been stated by many others?
See 'The Graduate' again when the mood strikes.
First timers, you are in for a treat.
"Here's to you Mrs. Robinson!"🎶🍸
